Verrian Lernaean
Verrian Lernaean 'was the third recorded Marshal of the 6th Company of the Knights Vigilant Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes. He is currently the only known Space Marine who has Chimeric gene-seed; He has the organs of the XIIth Legion, the World Eaters, and the XXth Legion, the Alpha Legion. Considered aloof and detached from his Chapter and his Company, he is nevertheless one of, if not the most skilled sniper within the Knights Vigilant Chapter, wielding a custom Stalker Bolter, with marksmanship rivaling that of even the Vindicare Assassins of the Officio Assassinorum. Upon his death, he was succeeded by Umbra. History Like most information having anything to do regarding the Alpha Legion, the Astartes who would become known as Verrian Lernaean is almost entirely unknown. The bulk of the information surrounding his origins is largely legend and myth, as records of most of his backstory is very hard to come by. This is, even more, the case with the Alpha Legion, because the XXth Legion embraced misdirection and stealth as its primary means of conducting war. Verrian is known, however, to have spent most of his youth on the Civilized World of Lerna IV, within the Segmentum Obscurus on the northern edge of the known galaxy, near the Halo Stars and the Eye of Terror. Verrian began his youth born to unknown parents, people whom even himself has been unable to remember, let alone the rest of the Chapter. Growing up having a somewhat rebellious youth and living life in a nonchalant and aimless manner, Verrian was handpicked for selection for the personal protection of the Nobility on the world, who began training as a local Planetary Defence Force Guardsman, avoiding the Imperial Tithe due to his sensitive and tricky nature on directly serving the nobility of the planet. Known for being quiet, inquisitive, and studious, Verrian kept his own counsel regarding his own matters, and due to his natural skill at using firearms, specifically Sniper Rifles and their equivalents, rose to prominence as the top rifleman on the planet. By the time of the arrival of the Knights Vigilant somewhere around the time of 198.M34, Verrian was selected by 2nd Marshal Pig Bimpin to submit himself to the Apothecary's Narthecium, undergoing an extremely experimental and likely heretical operation to implant fully grown gene-seed organs into an almost fully grown human, wherein half of his gene-organs came from Angron, Primarch of the World Eaters, and half from Alpharius Omegon, Primarch(s) of the Alpha Legion. In order to avoid controversy and possible Inquisition influence, not to mention the likely death of the Astartes, Verrian was officially branded an Imperial Fist, an Astartes of loyalist Primarch Rogal Dorn. The operation itself was a resounding success, and Verrian went on to rise to the 2nd Company of the Knights Vigilant, after countless years of training as an Astartes, mastered the art of the boarding shield, and became an expert at adaptability. Wielding various types of weaponry and for a time, exclusively used a Breaching shield and Bolter, akin to the Breacher Siege Squads of the Legiones Astartes. Nova Terra Interregnum Verrian's first taste of real combat would come during the Nova Terra Interregnum during the late 34th Millenium. The Nova Terra Interregnum, was a troubled period in Imperial history when the Imperium of Man fractured for a time into warring factions for over 900 standard years during the early 35th through the early 36th Millennium A.D. During this period, the rebellious Ur-Council of Nova Terra dismissed the authority of the High Lords of Terra and claimed separate rule over the Imperium's worlds in the Segmentum Pacificus in the galaxy's western reaches. Whether the Knights Vigilant as a whole was deployed to aid their fellow Chapters in quelling the rebellion is unknown, but accounts of Astartes in bone white armor, with many depictions matching that of Verrian assisting forces of the Dark Angels Chapter were confirmed during the Hrakon Campaign to locate Obidiah Hrakon, the despot ruler of an upstart planet which has been pivotal in its support of Nova Terra. While records are vague due to the involvement of the Dark Angels and the secretive nature of Verrian, it was known that due to these events he was given honorary battle titles and promoted to the rank of Second Captain of the Knights Vigilant due to his valiant efforts to quell the Interregnum, the likes of which has not been seen since the Horus Heresy. Records remain unsurprisingly silent regarding Verrian during this time, but he did appear again during the events of the 21st Cursed Founding, seeking to distance himself from his Chapter to avoid investigation and possible ''Excommunicatus Traitoris on his beloved brothers, as the Inquisition and their entourage of Grey Knights had heard of the operation he had been conducted under and was considered an extremely important target for the Inquisition, as they received word that he was made up of almost entirely traitor gene-seed. Largely due to the nature of the Knights Vigilant, and protection from the High Lords, the Inquisition was largely forced to give up their investigations, as the Age of Apostasy had begun within the Imperium of Man. Abyssal Crusade Largely absent from both galactic and Chapter events, Verrian once again re-emerged during the Abyssal Crusade demanding that the Adeptus Astartes be held accountable to their own actions, rather than have the Inquisition or the Ecclesiarchy decide their fates in an entire crusade. Falling on largely deaf ears, Saint Basillius nevertheless demanded "The Judged", those Space Marine Chapters who were deemed tainted by chaotic warp storms to begin a penitent crusade into the Eye of Terror. Refusing to allow his fellow Astartes, Chapter or not, to disregard their lives and commandeered the 2nd Company of the Knights Vigilant into the Eye of Terror. What was designed as a quick and decisive win, turned into a beaten and battered 2nd Company returning near their fleet, while Verrian boarded the Shattering Sun, Flagship of the Knights Vigilant, under direct orders from Grand Marshal Crab to be held accountable for his actions. What followed was Second Captain Verrian, who was at the time, aloof and quiet, broke out into a rage and began slaughtering all in his path- Astartes or not. Retreating to the Tempest, Flagship of the 3rd Company, Verrian continued his bloody campaign, his superior skills in tactics and training allowed him to overpower and kill many of his fellow Astartes before the entourage of Grand Marshal Crab and his Honor Guard arrived and managed to subdue the barbaric Astartes. The Schism Records in the Knights Vigilant clearly indicate at this time that Verrian was imprisoned under heavy guard by Grand Marshal Crab's Honor Guard, who at this time was thought to have contracted a genetic flaw akin to the Black Rage in the Blood Angels due to his Chimeric gene-seed. Others believed that he had fallen into the clutches of the Chaos God Khorne, as had almost all of the World Eaters did during the beginning of the Horus Heresy. Due to the intervention of First Captain Pudis, who himself was a World Eater, vouched for the continued existence of Verrian, who had been demoted from Second Captain and was being selected for the Deathwatch by the senior members within the Chapter, or face the Emperor's Mercy. Before any concrete decision could be made, however, the 6th Company of the Knights Vigilant, led by their Marshal Ulysses, rebelled against Grand Marshal Crab, after the disastrous losses during the Battle of Gregory's Landing where the entire Chapter was deployed against a massive army of Khorne Berzerkers, the brutal and bloody fighting took days to end. Each company had suffered casualties, but none more so than the 6th and 9th companies. Outraged, 6th Marshal Ulysses blamed Grand Marshal Crab for not sending reinforcements when the 6th and 9th were almost overwhelmed by Angron's forces, to which Grand Marshal Crab responded that none were available and that many elements of the 6th company did little to help during the fighting. Tensions eventually boiled as the 9th Company occupied and blockaded the Reclusiam within the Shattering Sun while the 3rd Company began fighting itself, as Marshal Rebel had deceived his company and his loyal elements fought against Captain Malius, who stood by Grand Marshal Crab. During the occupation of the Reclusiam, 5th Company assaulted the 9th Company, employing non-lethal Power Mauls to subdue their brother Astartes. 1st Company engaged the 6th Company in the Great Hall while the other companies struggled against each other. 7th Company, however, remained conflicted, led by Marshal Krasus and his Captain, sided with 6th Marshal Ulysses while the rest of the Company sided with Grand Marshal Crab. Not wanting infighting that plagued the 3rd Company, Marshal Krasus stood down and began supporting Grand Marshal Crab, who turned against the 6th Company in combat. Eventually, Grand Marshal Crab overpowered and killed 6th Marshal Ulysses and 6th Captain Xepherial in combat, largely ending the Schism within the Knights Vigilant. Drastic changes in leadership occurred, as most of the surviving elements of 6th Company was absorbed into 1st Company, while Malius became Marshal of 3rd Company. War of Redemption After the Ascension of Captain Pudis to Grand Marshal and the death of the former Grand Marshal Crab, Verrian was offered the chance at redemption; Placement within 6th Company. It was not, however, an easy redemption. 6th Marshal Kotov, along with 3rd Marshal Uriel, had betrayed the Knights Vigilant and turned renegade. Having hired an Ork WAAAGH! of the Blood Axes Warboss Dakkasmasha to keep the Knights Vigilant occupied and cover their tracks, Verrian was ordered by the new Grand Marshal Pudis to kill the Warboss, and assist the 1st, 5th, and 8th Companies in eliminating the greenskin horde to submit swift retribution upon the traitors. With support from 6th Brother Modibus, Verrian was given a customized Stalker Bolter, where he would begin his career as an expert marksman. Grand Marshal Pudis spared no expense- Giving Verrian a new, customized set of Mark IV "Maximus" Power Armor, with an appearance of Exodus, the famed sniper of the XXth Legion. With support from an Artillery Regiment of the Imperial Guard, Verrian managed to get the Warboss within his sights, before once again almost succumbing to his newly acquired genetic flaw, which he has managed to successfully hide from the rest of the Chapter at large, due to the death of those involved in his incident before the schism, aside from Grand Marshal Pudis. Unable to take the shot, 6th Brother Modibus managed to kill the Warboss and the two Astartes retreated back to the Shattering Sun, personally delivering the news to their Grand Marshal, where it is known the two had a scuffle that ended with Verrian requiring treatment in the Apothecarion and a new helmet. At this time it was known to 8th Marshal Anthonius and Grand Marshal Pudis alone that Verrian was discreetly transferred to 8th Company and promoted once again to Captain, this time under a far more watchful eye. Ascension to Marshal The War of Redemption brought with it a multitude of advancements, and with it, a multitude of problems. Verrian had mixed feelings; The autonomy of Captaincy that allowed him to circumvent many of the administrative and the self-described "Red Tape" that infected the higher levels of Knights Vigilant operations. Nevertheless, he was eager to get another shot at the traitors- Those Marshals Uriel Sedd, and Kotov, of 3rd and 6th Companies respectively- who had given him so much trouble to deal with. Many months of scouring, almost entirely alone, from the ruins of space hulks to Agri Worlds plagued with Chaos cults spewing the heresies and unholy blasphemy of the Dark Gods, only to find his tracks had come up short, aside from rare rumors and mentions of both traitors operating out of The Prismatic Legion, a massive Chaos Warband that was said to rival the size and power of Abaddon the Despoiler's many Black Crusades. Meanwhile, Grand Marshal Pudis boarded the Wrath of Caliban, the Strike Cruiser of the 8th Company of the Knights Vigilant Chapter, and proceeded to meet with 8th Company Marshal Anthonius again: This time with an ultimatum. In an attempt to convince the 8th Marshal to release Verrian from his service, Pudis told him an elaborate lie; That a Magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus, approved by an Inquisitor of the Ordo Hereticus, had deemed Verrian suitable for experimentation to see what the cause of his semi-fated "Black Rage" that seemed to be present. Satisfied with the illusionary Pudis had set up, Anthonius approved; and with it, relinquished his unique standing over his Astartes. Pudis meanwhile, went to work. When Verrian returned from yet another unsuccessful hunt for the fallen traitors, Pudis put his plan into action. Verrian was aboard the Engine of Eschaton, the Strike Cruiser of the 6th Company. At the time, the 6th Company of the Knights Vigilant had no standing Marshal or Captain. Temporarily, being given command of the Ship by Pudis himself for the freedom of being able to hunt the traitors across the stars, Verrian was recalled back to the Shattering Sun, where Pudis and his Terminator Honor Guard boarded the Strike Cruiser, and discussed with Verrian, revealing that the Mechanicus experiment to finally attempt to rid him of what plagued him was a lie; Nothing more than a ruse to give Verrian the full command of the 6th Company, pronouncing him the Marshal of the 6th Company of the Knights Vigilant Chapter. With his relatively new position as Marshal in a company he is largely familiar with, time will tell if Verrian has a true impact on the company he now runs. Death In the Lead up to his betrayal, Pudis Vardzkan’s crusades became increasingly brutal for the chapter. One of its most devastating casualties was the 6th Marshal, Verrian Lernaean, who was killed in battle against elements of the traitor XXth, Alpha Legion. From reports of surviving marines of the 6th company, the Alpha Legion had anticipated and countered every move of the Company’s forces before separating the marshal and his bodyguards from the main force, subsequently overwhelming them. Upon his death, he was succeeded by Umbra, who currently holds office as the fourth recorded marshal of the 6th Company. Relationships Verrian has always known to be an aloof and far more distant Astartes than most of his Brothers, whether due to the nature of his Alpha Legion gene-seed, or more of an introverted personality, remains to be seen. Nevertheless, he keeps a strong bond with the Grand Marshal, more out of respect as warriors from the same genetic lineage of Angron rather than actual Brothers, wherein Verrian calls Pudis little more than a civilized barbarian for thinking he can rule an entire Chapter of diverse Astartes, and Pudis calling Verrian a coward for his secretive and often cowardly behavior. Verrian continues to keep a close relationship with his Marshal, who shares his common sense of kin as warriors and brothers-in-arms of the same company. While Anthonius dislikes the anonymous nature of many of Verrian's tactics and dealings, he nevertheless understands the place of his Captain as a valuable member of his Company and to the Knights Vigilant as a whole. Additionally, 1st Marshal Serb continues to keep or try to keep, a close relationship with Verrian, as his supreme marksmanship skills as a sniper bests all of the 1st Company, including Serb himself, and has developed a bond due to both of their mysterious backgrounds, albeit Marshal Serb more forgetful about his past and Captain Verrian reluctant to speak about his. Wargear 'Hydra of Lerna - '''A modified set of Mark IV "Maximus" Power Armor, Verrian is armored in sinister and baroque reptilian-styled Mark IV Power Armor, an acknowledgment of his Alpha Legion Primarchs and aiding him in most of his missions regarding stealth and secrecy. '''Veritas - '''A Sol-pattern Master Crafted combat knife -- easily the size of a normal human's short sword -- holds a mono-molecular edge that never dulls, even through centuries of service. '''The Argolid - '''A smaller version of a Breaching Shield, comprised of ceramite and plasteel, which contains a small field generator similar to that utilized in the smaller wrist-mounted Combat Shield. Largely carried on his back, Verrian wields ''The Argolid when in close combat situations. '''Bloodtaker - A Relic Tigrus-Exitus Pattern Stalker Bolter, Verrian wields this ancient-like weapon after scavenging it during the Abyssal Crusade. Firing an assortment of ammunition, primarily Stalker Silenced Rounds, it is a formidable weapon that silently takes the lives of even the greatest of enemy foes. Trivia Unknown to the Chapter (aside from a select few who possess the knowledge), Verrian is a psychic Pariah, those humans who possess the rare Pariah Gene that makes them generate no presence in the Warp, thus leaving them essentially soulless. While documented history on Blanks/Pariahs is extremely vague and limited in and of themselves, no other point in time has there been records of Space Marines who carry the Pariah gene. Whether through sheer luck or careful movements through his Chapter and history, Verrian has never had come across a Psyker or another Blank and has so far kept his unknown secret hidden from his Chapter, and by extension the rest of the Imperium. Pariahs are the direct antithesis of the Forces of Chaos as he or she possesses no presence within the Warp, and thus radiates a sense of unnatural "wrongness" that makes other living, intelligent creatures extremely uncomfortable and uneasy in their presence. Due to this, Verrian has had strained relations with his brothers, even the most optimistic of Astartes, to which he passes off as general dislike due to his gene-seed and combat tactics, when in reality is far more complicated. On The Assignment, commonly employed by the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, Verrian holds the rank of Omega-minus, the level commonly associated with the Culexus Temple. Being an Astartes, and hundreds of Terran years, Verrian has no formal training regarding his status as a Blank, fitting it is something he is almost completely unaware of. Due to his knowledge of being a Pariah himself, he has created a specialized Honor Guard within the 6th Company, known as the Proeliators, a newly formed group of Astartes who posses the Blank Gene, a step lower than a Pariah who, rather than actively work against the warp, Blanks merely negate it. Due to his status as a Pariah, and the fact that many Psykers and Librarians, including the all-psyker 4th Company, would receive serious harm or even death from even the presence of the 6th Marshal, serve largely as the diplomats and Ambassadors in discussion and diplomacy with other Astartes, primarily those with psychic potential. V Category:Marshals